FIU Medicine taps Sarah Suarez to direct community health and student learning program

Sarah Suarez, Ph.D. ’21, MPH, has been appointed director of FIU Medicine’s signature Green Family Foundation Neighborhood Health Education Learning Program (NeighborhoodHELP).

Suarez will provide strategic leadership, working closely with faculty, staff, students and community partners to strengthen program delivery, foster innovation in community-based education and support the program’s long-term growth.

“NeighborhoodHELP offers a powerful model for learning because it connects students directly with the communities we serve,” said Suarez. “One of my goals is to continue strengthening that experience by working with faculty to help students connect what they learn in the classroom with the real-world health challenges facing households across South Florida. I also look forward to listening closely to students, staff and community partners so we can deepen the collaborations that make this program successful.”

Through NeighborhoodHELP, interdisciplinary teams—including medical, nursing and social work students—collaborate with faculty and health professionals to connect families with health care services and community resources while gaining hands-on experience addressing social determinants of health. The program also operates mobile health centers at community sites. In the past decade, more than 3,800 FIU students have participated, serving more than 4,300 community members.

Suarez brings extensive experience in community-engaged health education, interdisciplinary collaboration and service to Miami-Dade County communities with limited access to care. She has worked across government, community organizations and health systems to address complex public health challenges.

Early in her career, Suarez supported frontline HIV prevention and community health initiatives, experiences that grounded her work in the realities communities face and strengthened her commitment to building trust with local organizations and residents. Most recently, as chief transformation officer for Miami-Dade County, she worked across departments to improve how public services support residents and led evaluation and strategy efforts for the county’s Peace & Prosperity Plan, a $90 million initiative focused on reducing community violence and strengthening neighborhood stability.

“NeighborhoodHELP recognizes that health is shaped not only by clinical care, but also by factors like housing stability, access to resources, education and community support,” said Suarez. “I hope to strengthen how the program connects families to services and support systems that improve quality of life over time, so households feel supported, and FIU continues to play a meaningful role in improving health and opportunity across South Florida.”

Suarez Suarez holds a Ph.D. in public health from Florida International University, an MPH in social and behavioral sciences and a B.S. in health education from the University of Florida.